Since the energy crisis of the early 1970's, most residential and commercial buildings have been constructed utilizing energy conserving materials, while existing buildings have added insulation. Although these measures have reduced the energy required to heat and cool these structures, these measures have also dramatically increased initial material and labor costs, as well as construction time to build these structures. This invention relates to an improved highly insulated building material of modular design that can be quickly assembled into a quality roofing system, by unskilled labor, utilizing only small hand tools, and thereby reducing construction costs and construction time.
The prior art of roof construction consists mainly of flat or pitched roofs built upon wood or steel joists. Decking of wood planks, plywood, or metal is generally affixed to the joists and insulation is applied upon or below the decking material. Waterproofing materials such as asphalt, rubber, tar and gravel, metal, clay, or other suitable material is then applied atop the decking composition to weatherproof the roofing structure. These types of roofing structures are very labor intensive, requiring several different crafts to construct. Such construction entails significant expenditures of both time and money. Further, depending upon the roofing insulation utilized, thermal voids are often found in non-rigid insulation materials such as battens or blown-in materials, taking away from the efficiency of the insulation.
The prior art with respect to pre-insulated manufactured by sandwiching rigid foam insulation between sheets of metal or wood. Normally, sandwich panels of this type require heavy equipment to set the panels in place for subsequent attachment to field constructed roof joists. This type of construction also requires time consuming attachment methods to secure the sandwich panels to the roof joists. These sandwich panels further require the field installation of weather proofing materials after the panels are set in place.
Other types of modular roofing construction consist of prefabricated panels set between strips of thin metal that act as alignment members between adjacent panels. This type of construction limits the length of a desired roof span between walls, and also creates thermal bridges from the exterior to the interior of the building by way of the metal strips.
While the prior art has taught prefabricated modular wall construction, such as in prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,624, there is a need in the art for a modular pre-finished structural roofing system comprised of pre-insulated roofing panels, prefabricated structural support members, facing elements of selected materials affixed to the roofing panels, and fastening rods for the attachment of the roofing panels to each other and to other roofing components. There is a further need for a pre-insulated roofing panel of varying sizes and shapes that is comprised of two parallel panel elements, facing elements, an insulating element, panel support elements, panel retainers, conduits for fastening rods, and fastening rods. The art has also been devoid of a roofing system of interposed structural support members of varying sizes and shapes that are comprised of structural elements, conduits for fastening rods, and wall attachment fixtures.
Further, while the prior art of U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,624 teaches a modular pre-insulated, pre-finished building block, there has been found a need to increase the compressive and shear strength of the building block, to provide the building block with a perimeter that is self sealing against wind and rain when placed adjacent to other building components, and to provide an improved method of anchoring a modular wall to a foundation.